


A Thousand Years

by eshkol (hernameisgeorge)



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Fix-It, Inspired by Music, M/M, Reincarnation, i think, i wasnt really clear on what went down there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hernameisgeorge/pseuds/eshkol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the year 3062, over a thousand years after the incident with the 456, and Ianto Jones was so wrong. Jack did remember him. He remembered him every day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Years

**Author's Note:**

> This is a strange amalgamation of me watching Torchwood, then putting on Pandora, where "Year 3000" came on directly after "A Thousand Years." I'm sorry and yet not. At the same time.

There was a box that Jack kept near himself at all times. No matter where he went, no matter what he did, he always had it. This box was filled with his most treasured memories; ones he couldn't bear forgetting. Mementos from his time with the Doctor and Torchwood mostly, but there was a corner dedicated to all of his past loves. The ones who were important anyway.

 _"In a thousand years time, you won't remember me."_ The words were seared into his brain.

It was the year 3062, over a thousand years after the incident with the 456, and Ianto Jones was so wrong. Jack did remember him. He remembered him every day.

He'd had lovers since then, of course he had, and he had even loved some of them. One or two had even made it to the box, but none could hold a candle to what he had with Ianto.

Apparently fate agreed. And fate, it seemed, was a fickle bitch.

* * *

_"I have died every day, waiting for you"_

* * *

The human race had advanced some 200 years since the discovery of Atlantis about fifty kilometers east of the Caribbean. For historic reasons, they left it underwater, but they encased it in a dome and it was now the third most populated island in the world.

That was where Jack was at. He didn't know why he went there. Just some feeling that it was the place to be.

He was in the marketplace, looking for some reasonably priced bananas (call it nostalgia), when he heard it.

"Ianto Jones, you get back here this instant!"

Jack froze. There was no way. Absolutely no way.  It couldn't be. Although, spatial genetic multiplicity did sometimes happen. But the name, that was impossible.

Hesitantly, Jack turned around and stopped breathing. There, by the market stall directly across from him, was the spitting image of the Ianto Jones he'd known back in the twenty-first century, right down to the accent. He was six, maybe seven years younger, but it was definitely him.

He didn't start breathing again until long after Ianto was out of sight.

* * *

_"Darling don't be afraid_

_I have loved you for a thousand years"_

* * *

It wasn't creepy. Jack had just done a little bit of not-entirely-legal research to learn more about Ianto. He found out that he was indeed six years younger than the old Ianto. But he stopped there. He definitely didn't continue on to find out that they were nearly the same in every way that counted.

Okay, maybe it was a little creepy, but he wanted to be sure.

So he stayed out of sight for six years and waited. Then waited three more because he was a coward.

Finally, he staged a chance encounter. Nothing serious, he just wanted to meet him. It just so happened that said chance encounter happened in the same marketplace where Jack had first seen him.

Jack had everything planned out. He would casually move through the marketplace, gradually making his way over to where Ianto was, maybe bump into him, and introduce himself.

The only thing he didn't account for was the fact that this was Ianto Jones.

Just as Jack was executing his plan, he glanced over to see that Ianto was no longer there. He didn't have time to feel disappointed before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see the man himself, a small smile on his face.

"Sorry, I couldn't help but notice you looking at me," Ianto said. "I don't normally do this, but would you like to go out for coffee with me?"

"I don't even know who you are."

He almost looked sheepish. "Right. Jones, Ianto Jones." He held out his hand.

Jack smirked as he shook it. "Nice to meet you, Jones, Ianto Jones. Captain Jack Harkness."

* * *

_"I'll love you for a thousand more."_

**Author's Note:**

> Literally the only reason they were in Atlantis was because "I've been to the year 3000, not much has changed but they live underwater."
> 
> Song quotes are, of course, from "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri.
> 
> ETA: If you remember this being posted under a different name, you'd be right! This work was written by me, and I decided to move it to this pseud.


End file.
